A cell of suspected Islamist militants has opened fire on security forces in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, say officials
The clash occurred at about 03:00 local time after a tip off
about the location of a suspected Boko Haram weapons cache, Nigeria's
spy agency said.
The State Security Service did not give any details about casualties. A witness told the BBC he saw nine bodies.
Boko Haram is most active in north-eastern Nigeria, where a state of emergency was imposed in May.
Attacks have increased recently despite a massive military deployment to the worst-affected areas.
In the latest incident in Borno state, officials said at
least 87 people were killed in an attack by militants, who disguised
themselves in military uniforms at a checkpoint set up outside the town
of Benisheik. They shot dead those trying to flee.
The group wants to create an Islamic state across Nigeria and has waged a deadly insurgency since 2009.
'Digging for arms'
The BBC's Mohammed Kabir Mohammed in Abuja says the shooting
took place at a two-storey building which has just been built but is not
yet complete.
Young men have been using the building to sleep in at night, he says.
The security team which approached the building were acting on information received from two men.
"No sooner had the team commenced digging for the arms, than
they came under heavy gunfire attack by other Boko Haram elements,"
Reuters news agency quotes a statement from State Security Service as
saying.
